Back to basics
Welcome to this love story that I hope will bring you many emotions. My name is Hope Dess. I'm French and, I live in a small village in the mountains of Provence.
The French version of this story is auto-edited and so is the english version. I'm also working on the portuguese version of the story.
For the moment, I've decided to share a part of my romance with you. You'll find the following chapters on Amazon Kindle :) (for free).
I want to apologise in advance if sometimes my words are not exactly selected. I sincerely hope that I can count on your encouragement and comments to improve my grammar.
I chose to keep some of the words in French like "beauté" or "princesse" and many others but I'll share the translation so you won't be lost ;)
Many thanks!
Hope Dess
PROLOGUE
Once upon a time, there was an ordinary woman in an ordinary world...
That's how it might begin...
If you are about to read my story, I should warn you. I'm not a woman with a tortured soul, a tumultuous past, or even a strong character.
In short, I'm not a femme fatale or an inspirational warrior.
I'm just me, Lys, an ordinary woman with a sweet, candy-pink childhood and an annoying tendency to control everything in her perfectly organised, square life.
In fact, I sometimes think that I'm very aptly named...
" I am Lys. "
" I am lisse..."
A French word pronounced the same way as my name which means that my personality is far too smooth.
Voilà...
Two years ago, I left France for Canada after the man I thought loved me, betrayed me.
That is my biggest wound... The one that turned everything upside down...
And tonight, if I'm back, it's for her sister.
Inès.
My accomplice of many years is celebrating her birthday, and she has no idea of the surprise awaiting her.
But I'm about to learn the hard way that, in reality, I'm not in control of anything and that my feeling of being in command of my life is just an illusion.
I thought I was strong and ready to come back. But Julian's presence soon makes me more aware of my weaknesses.
I am still deeply scarred by the wound he inflicted on me.
I hate manipulation, betrayal and lies, but can you really hate them when you're satisfied with the truths that suit you ?
And yet the ones that are hardest to tell and hear are the ones that lead us down the right path, with an open heart.
How about you? Would you rather have the sweet lie or the shocking truth?
Chapter 1: Back to Basics
Two years.
It’s been two years since I left France to come and live in Canada.
Two years away from my roots...
Two years in the building of a new life for myself. It’s hard to believe I’m back and I’ve spent all this time away from here and especially from her.
Inès.
Cliché as it may sound, I must admit she’s the best friend everyone dreams of and I’m more than privileged. So tonight, I’m both stressed and happy as I’ve rarely been at the thought of holding her in my arms.
I smile when I see that the taxi I’m in is finally approaching her house. I take a deep breath and do my best to try and calm myself down. It’s her birthday tonight and I’m sure she has no expectation of my arrival at all.
As the taxi pulls into the neighbourhood, I rub my hands together frantically. Soon I see the beginning of the street that is so familiar to me in this typical Provençal town, and my smile widens as my heart tightens.
I ask the taxi to drop me off a bit further down the street. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. As I get out of the car, I’m startled by the chill in the air and an icy gust of wind rushes through my jacket. I grab my mobile phone from the bottom of my bag and start texting Julian to let him know I am here. It only takes a few seconds for him to reply.
‘Good. I’ll be there in two minutes. I just have to get rid of my sister.’
With a heart full of warmth, but a body tense with cold and stress, I wait impatiently for him. I can’t wait to be reunited with my long-time accomplice, and my fingers are beginning to freeze.
A shadow appears in the distance.
It’s him...
My pulse races as he approaches, and when he reaches me I can barely look him in the eye.
He speaks to me in a drawl, his hands in his pockets.
"Hi Lys. Did you have a good flight?"
Unlike me, he seems completely at ease. He has not lost any of the immense confidence that characterises him.
I swallow hard, trying to hide my discomfort with the pretence of looking at the road. All I want is to avoid facing him, and when I open my mouth, my voice is as cold as the wind.
"I had a good flight. Thank you."
I turn my head and when my eyes meet his, I notice a slight smile on his face. It’s a teasing smile that I’ve seen many times before and loved for years, but now it’s fuelling my anger, which only grows more as he speaks again in a warm voice.
"It’s good to see you. How have you been?"
Embarrassed by his overly friendly tone, I reply with a question, shaking my cold hands.
"When did it get so cold in this country?"
He looks at me for a moment before answering with amusement.
"I suppose you brought the cold with you."
I force myself to smile and stare at him, making it clear that I’ve perfectly understood the double meaning of what he said. His subtlety is still questionable, but I’ve promised myself to remain calm and cordial, so I decide to pull myself together.
As his green eyes stare at me without blinking, I answer his first question in a polite manner and in a tone that is as neutral as possible.
"I’m fine ... and it’s nice to see you too."
Liar...
We remain silent for a few seconds before he speaks again, not without a certain irony in his voice.
"Yes... I don’t doubt it."
I frown slightly, then clear my throat before straightening up.
"I think we’d better go. It’s about time."
He nods and his eyes finally tear themselves away from me. He takes his hands out of his pockets to reach for my suitcases, but in one swift movement I manage to grab my own things.
"That’s very kind of you, but I can do it myself!"
He raises an eyebrow at my scathing tone, and steps back slightly with his hands raised.
"All right. Let’s go."
As he now walks beside me, I can’t take my eyes off him and his grin, which makes me regret my aggression.
I feel so stupid.
I’d promised myself I’d show some self-control, but it only took a few seconds for me to lose my temper with him.
Another silence passes. A lump forms in the pit of my stomach and I hate myself for it. He gives me a questioning look when I stop and put my suitcase down on the floor.
"Are you sure you don’t need any help?"
I blink and nod with determination as I pick up my things.
"I’m sure!"
I balance my gym bag on top of my huge suitcase, but when I bend over to grab my other piece of luggage, the contents of my handbag spill out onto the floor.
Irritated by the situation, I force myself not to insult the whole world. I take a deep breath and clumsily begin to arrange my belongings. The fact that my hands are freezing doesn’t do me any good. I feel even more stupid now. Still crouched on the icy floor, I don’t even dare look up at Julian for fear of having to confront his innate arrogance again.
When I’m done, I see his long legs rush towards me and without a word he grabs my suitcase and gym bag. I raise my head to confront him, but his face has gone cold and the look of amusement on it has completely disappeared.
Just nodding slightly in thanks, I decide to let him have his way.
It doesn’t make sense to be defensive. I have to show some dignity, hold my head up high, because it’s not my place to be embarrassed.
Unlike him, I have nothing to reproach myself for.
He turns his back and heads for the house. It takes me a couple of seconds to come out of the flood of thoughts I am in. So, with a shake of my head, I make my way to his side. It doesn’t matter. I must not let this introduction spoil my stay here. Inès is the only reason I crossed the Atlantic.
Next chapters available here: (free with amazon kindle)
https://lire.amazon.fr/kp/kshare?asin=B0D5VP6DX3&id=lbdccb3jergtpgggatjz3san4i
